Chapter 20: Where It Started

Cries and whining of a newborn infant were heard across the dark dusty walls. As the moon shone brightly at the window. Gwydion arises a baby from her hands.

She laughed devilishly while the rain strongly dropped the ground and thunders struck. As the volcano grumble in madness, from a man's soul, another of her creations was brought to life.

The infant kept whining. "Shush, there is no need to cry. You will be the most powerful witch in all the world. You! Will help mother shatter men one by one until we are satisfied. My dear, stop crying now." She whispered behind the baby's ear.

While she swayed the baby in her arms. Two girls were staring from afar. One was slightly taller than the other one.

"Sister, why is mother joyous upon that baby's resurrection?" The short one asked.

"Don't bother asking me, ask mother yourself. We're both standing here, unknowing of mother's thinking." She replied and crossed her arms.

They both stared at them for a couple of minutes until the eldest daughter walked towards Gwydion, her mother and her creator. She stood behind her while her mother was playing with the newborn baby.

"Mother, what's her name?" She asked and gaze at the baby.

"I named her Maurelle. She will be our success." Gwydion replied with her smug face as she adored the baby and caressed its face.

The daughter raised one of her brows and narrowed her eyes. She acted like a spoiled brat with how she looked at the baby girl with bitterness plastered on her face. She was not pleased with her new sister. However, she expects that she could do much better.

Just you wait and see, mother. I know I can do even better than her. She does not bother me in the slightest." she thought inside her head.

After a few years, she now is regretting for being too calm over the past few years. She was too complacent that even a single practice was not conducted.

The eldest daughter groaned. "Argh! Why can't I cast a single spell?"

She waved her stick and whispered evil spells to the healthy apple in front of her and it only turned even more healthful.

"This isn't working at all! I need to find another way..." Said the eldest daughter and slammed the stick on the wooden table.

The eldest daughter went out of her chambers to look for her mother and her two little sisters but only to get frustrated. She saw her little sister being taught by their mother, spells that even she can not cast just yet.

The second daughter saw her and she came to the frame. "What are you looking at sister, Ah—" as soon as she saw what her sister was eyeing, she also became frustrated but unlike her sister, it was a bit more mellow. "How come mother is teaching her while we practice among ourselves?"

The eldest daughter did not answer instead she glared at her mother and little sister. She found herself practising again inside her chambers. She was cruel to herself, she want to perfect all of the spells, and even the spells dwell on the wrong path and settled an evil effect, which made her deranged even more.

Day to dawn she did nothing but harness her ability.

The next day, their mother called the three of them. The younger siblings had a very good sleep while she, the eldest, abandon her slumber and now had her eyes darkened.

"What happened to your eyes, sister?" The second asked.

"Nothing." She answered.

They were heading on top of the volcano as instructed by their mother. They used their brooms and went flying. The youngest went beside her looking so worried while staring at her face.

"Did you not have a good night sleep? Your eyes a very dark and swollen, sister." The girl innocently asked.

"You look like a monster, sister." The second said and giggled.

She glared at the both of them. "Shut up or I will blow your heads off."

Their mother heard their quarrel. "Silence, my daughters. We're here."

All three of them went silent and pressed their mouths close as they saw the volcano's mouth smoking and splashing lava all over its tip. The closer they go the hotter it gets. The heat was overwhelming their skin and insides so they had to make things fast.

"Mother, it's hot in here. It will destroy our flesh!" The second dramatically complained while rubbing her own arms using her palms.

"If you don't want to die in this heat, you must first practice landing explosions in that pile of lava," Gwydion said greedily.

"But mother! How can we even do that?" Said the second daughter.

"Maurelle," Gwydion smirked and called the youngest. "Show them what you are capable of."

Maurelle, although she did not want to perform such a hard task, she was forced to by her mother. With trembling hands, she manoeuvred her broom closer to the volcano's peak.

The two sisters watched her every movement. The eldest had a poker face and yet she could not avoid and be worried.

The youngest waved her stick and yelled with her tiny voice, "As serene you may look, robust you go!" After waving it, she steadied it and pointed to the lava. The spell landed and it made such a huge splash. They even took a flyback, afraid of being touched by the lava.

Even so, she did such a great job following her mother's words and executed the evil spell right. But, instead of feeling proud, the youngest was afraid and mad at herself. However, a chance to speak was never on the table. Her thoughts were left unspoken.

Gwydion, their mother smiled in satisfaction. She was now proud that she created such a masterpiece.

"Did you see that, girls? I doubt you can even do that. But let's see..." She bragged.

The two sisters stared at each other and gulped hard.

The youngest daughter retreated as her mother said. The next in line was the second youngest daughter to do just like the same as her sister did. She could not help but be frightened of the lava, but what can she do when she's too little to disobey her mother? She had no right to do so.

"Go on now. You don't want to waste any of my precious time, do you?" She heard her mother say.

The girl diverted her gaze from the ranging volcano to her mother's taunting look.

She exhaled a huge amount of air before starting. And just like her little sister she waved her stick and yelled, "As serene you may look, robust you go!"

It hit the lava and exploded not as strong but quite enough to satisfy their mother.

Their mother sneered and clapped her hands. "Very well, now you have made a use of yourself."

She widened her eyes in shock that she actually did it, unlike the youngest sister, she was appalled to receive complimentarily. She awkwardly smiles.

"Of course, mother, how could I not do such a simple task?" She scoffed in arrogance. But deep inside she was nervous.

"Well then, off you go next, Ravyn." Gwydion looked at the eldest.

The eldest was anxious, but she kept reminding herself how much she practised.

I can do this, this is for my affirmation of being the greatest daughter."

She flew closer to the volcano. Like her sisters, she felt the most nervous, anxious, and afraid. Her mother was pressuring her from behind. But all she can do was to breathe deeply.

With trembling hands, she waved it and yelled, "As serene you may look, robust you go!"

The magic landed not on the lava but at the edges of the volcano's hole, it bumped and instead of landing an explosion, it hit her broom and then she wiggled in the air and to her luck, she fell out of her broom.

"Sister!" Her sisters squealed.

"Ahhhh!" She yelled. The heat escalated on her skin as her body gets closer to the lava. She closed her eyes while endlessly screaming her heart out.

Gwydion shook her head in disappointment and quickly waved her stick to stop her daughter from stumbling upon an excruciating death. With luck, she was saved by her mother.

As she opened her eyes, the girl found herself being lifted up and sat at her broom.

Her mother's glare was what welcomed her. Its face was twitching in turmoil.

"You disgrace! If you ever fall again, there's no more saving for you. You will suffer death and deal with it." She said to her daughter.

The daughter only ever did was to bow her head. Her heartbeat was palpitating in madness speed. She was scared of what she may receive from her mother.

"Now, let's head home!" Gwydion shouted and initiated the leave by manoeuvring her broom down to their tower.

The witches went home and the eldest daughter was given a stern scolding, she was punished to the point of having bruises and sickness. While the other two daughters were locked inside the chamber.

"Sister, why are you covering my ears?" The youngest daughter asked the second youngest one. "And why do you have water rolling down your eyes?"

She was too innocent about such things.

"T-this is a playtime, sister. If you cover your ears, you will win the game." Responded by her sister.

"Oh, I see! Then I would love if you cover my ears more." She said enthusiastically.

But little did the little sister know that the cause of it was because their eldest sister screaming in pain and crying out loud because of their evil and cruel mother. The second can hear it all and can never reveal it to her little sister.

The little one slept upon her ears covered and the second slept with tears flowing down her cheeks.

While the eldest had a scar marked on her chest. She was only a child and already received a scar for eternity.

In the morning, the little one was the first to wake up. She went down from her bed and headed outside the chambers only to see her mother outside.

"Maurelle, my dear. You should eat and we shall practice later on." Gwydion gave her a wicked smile.

"But where's sister Ravyn?" She asked innocently.

"She's inside her chamber, I dare you not to go in there or mother will scold you." She replied and went to the table.

Maurelle was confused but she wouldn't dare ask why. That day, while the two younger siblings practised outside and started following their mother's evil doings, the eldest was locked in her chambers, trembling with her bruises all unhealed. Wretchedness and blood on her pale skin.

Upon this day, her wrath commenced. It was the start of her rage, her madness, and wickedness. She was beyond but just a witch, she was the devil. A curse run through her body and was created on its own. Without her mother's knowledge nor her's, this was created through her blood.

Since then, she still was a disappointment in the eyes of her mother. The three of them kept harnessing their magic. Until one day, Maurelle had the strength to oppose her mother.

"Sister, you seem off today, what are you thinking?" Glinda asked her sister.

Ravyn was sitting close to the window while stroking the scar on her chest. A scar-like how you catch one from a fire. It was in the middle of her chest.

"Are you reminiscing that memory? You should get over with it." Glinda said and sat next to her.

"A paper of spells never gets erased, Glinda. It remains black and inks, unscathed, and continuously spreading when wet." Ravyn uttered.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that a memory can never be forgotten." She exclaimed and looked at Glinda's eyes.

Glinda dramatically widened her eyes. "Then do you wish to grant vengeance, and go against mother?"

Ravyn stood up and went to their table of spells which there was a circle crystal. Where a witch views her targets.

"Against mother? You can't go against her. Mother is selfish and wicked. She eats souls as to how she insists us to do so. Rather go against the other one." Ravyn answered her and went to pick a book of spells.

"The other one? Maurelle? Well, that would be worst, sister." Glinda said.

Ravyn bursts into laughter. She stroked the crystal and there revealed her mother.

"You can never guess it, Glinda. After all, my world doesn't revolve around you. You'll see, Glinda, you'll see."

Glinda stared at her sister with suspicion. Indeed, she can not tell what her sister is saying. But she reckoned that it is about Maurelle and how she can get rid of it.

I shall keep an eye on sister." she said at the back of her head.

The two were quiet until Ravyn went and go to Maurelle's chambers. Her footsteps echoed as she traced her way. She knock at the door and Maurelle answered by opening the door. Glinda only stared at them.

"Mother is near, we should set you back and locked with silver chains." Ravyn let out. "Otherwise, she won't like it if when you are here free roaming around."

Maurelle gulped and nodded right after. "Of course, I understand."

They made the bed disappear and Maurelle lock herself up in the silver chains. Her wrist started to turn red once more as the chain was also cold and it made her flinched. While waiting, Ravyn went outside and grabbed her books. She made sure that she looked busy as well as Glinda. After a few moments, their mother arrived at the tower. It seems that she had been swallowing souls. As her beauty began to brighten up as well each time she reaches home.

"Mother, you're back!" Glinda pretentiously welcomed her mother. "I was waiting for—" but she was stopped when it suddenly talked.

"Where is Maurelle? Have you looked after her? Did she eat her food, the worms I cast a spell on?"

Glinda paused and glance at her sister Ravyn.

"Of course, she has a mother. I made her eat it, also where else could she be but inside her chamber?" Ravyn answered with an uneasy look.

"These men are really getting into my nerves. Don't slip the bottle and make me angry, girls. Make sure she wouldn't get out of her chains." Gwydion said with her brows furrowed.

She walked towards Maurelle's chambers and opened her doors. Maurelle was expected to have chains on her wrist and her feet locked with metal. However, he looked at Glinda and Ravyn with suspicion in her eyes as she was weirded out with how quiet Maurelle's chamber was.

And as soon as she opened the door. What welcomed her made her deranged. Gwydion turned red with the anger escalating inside her.

Maurelle was nowhere to be found!

"Where is she?" Gwydion shouted.

Ravyn and Glinda peek inside and was also very shocked.

"I-I don't understand, s-she was there just a few minutes ago," Ravyn said while panicking. She does not like the sound of her mother's temper. "Right, Glinda?"

"Mother calmed down!" Glinda went Gwydion and dramatically stroked her mother's shoulders to calm her down.

Gwydion slapped Glinda's hands away and turned to face Ravyn. "It's your fault! You disgrace of a daughter! How could you dare let her escape."

Ravyn gulped. "S-she couldn't be that far enough. T-the windows! She could have escaped from it."

"But mother, should the chains be that weak?" Glinda raised a question.

"My chains are not weak, Glinda!" Gwydion answered.

"Then it could mean that she is already powerful enough to even break one. Mother, listen. She's already taking advantage of her wickedness. Isn't this one great news?"

Gwydion was silent for a few seconds and as well as the two sisters.

Glinda, something useful at last." Ravyn thought with a little smirk on her face.

"Right," Gwydion head over to her table and stroke the magic crystal. She saw something that made her beam. "She's still on the land. Ravyn and Glinda," she called her daughter.

"Yes, mother?" Both Ravyn and Glinda answered while looking at her.

"I need you two to grasp Maurelle back! The moment she gets here, I will forge her recreation. She has learned to disobey me? She shall suffer."

Ravyn and Glinda looked at each other while having completely different thoughts.

With mother like this, I could finally curse enough souls and regain my beauty and charm back." thought Glinda.

"It's finally here! It's finally coming to my hands, at last!" Thought Ravyn.

"Now girls! Go and get her!" Gwydion screamed with fury.

"Very well, mother!" The two answered together once more.

The evil sisters wore black pitch cloaks, black boots almost reaching to their knees, and carrying their sticks with them and brooms.

They evilly laughed as they went flying across the window and meting the grey clouds above.

While Glinda was too focused on fleeing. Ravyn thought that this situation to finally get rid of Maurelle.

"I need a bait and all will be upon my hands." She whispered while flying mid-air. "Maurelle," she smirks and shook her head slowly. "You just lost your chance, now everything will be mine."

As the sisters flew loose, they headed to the land full of nothing but humans. They surrounded that land until they found a stop.

That village was full of people running around, markets, kids fiddling with each other, and men carrying booze. A lot of contours and houses, and ships close to the shore. It was a land nothing like where they live, 'twas lively and full of life.

"Glinda," she called out to her sister. "Why don't we each look for her in separate ways?" She faked a smile.

"What marvellous idea, sister." Glinda dramatically beamed.

"Yes, and in the meantime, you could do whatever you please, I wouldn't dare tell mother."

Glinda stared at her for a few moments and then decided to respond. "Then, it's a deal! Let's move on."

Brilliant, now I can start my plan in getting rid of Maurelle. Poor Glinda, too naive.' She thought and went to walk in the middle of the alley.

Ravyn was now confident she can find Maurelle, as she fed her with the porridge she cooked. And in that porridge is a spell wherein she can locate Maurelle even after where she goes off to.

"Maurelle, I'm coming..."

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ABYSSCESS